Aloha, Todd Graham.
The University of Hawaii football coach announced his resignation from the school late Friday night in a joint press release that quoted both Graham and Hawaii athletics director David Matlin.
A former Mesquite, Texas, native, who has been a head coach at Power 5 programs Arizona State and Pittsburgh, in addition to top stints at Rice and Tulsa prior to his work at Hawaii, Graham navigated the Warriors to a .500 ledger in his two seasons atop the program after Nick Rolovich left Hawaii to take over for Mike Leach at Washington State.
But it hardly was smooth sailing for Graham or Hawaii leadership during his barely two-year run. There persistent murmurings of player discontentment from the Warriors’ roster, and Hawaii’s athletics department also has been shackled with significant budgetary woes.
Since November, a whopping 17 Hawaii football players have entered the NCAA’s Transfer Portal – including Graham’s son, Michael, late last month.
Additionally, the state of Hawaii has imposed some of the most restrictive lockdown-measures since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago.
“We enjoyed many successes under his leadership,” Maltin said in the release, “even as he faced pandemic conditions, the withdrawal of Aloha Stadium, and the prohibition of any fans for nearly all of his time with us.”
Added Graham, in part, “After much prayer and reflection with my family, I have come to the conclusion that I will step away as head coach of the Rainbow Warriors, with a very heavy heart. I want to give my thanks and appreciation to the players, staff and coaches who persevered through all of the challenges of 2020 and 2021.”
Per Hawaii’s release, since Graham resigned his post atop the program, the school will not owe the veteran coach any additional monies from the original five-year pact he signed with the school in January 2020. Graham, per public information, was scheduled to make $800,000 per year in base salary for each of his final three seasons at Hawaii.
The school said it will immediately commence a nationwide search for Graham’s replacement.